Breaking doors

Former University of North Texas football player and Team USA Olympic Bobsledder Johnny Quinn uses a battering ram to slam breach a door as he trains with the Denton Police Department Tactical Unit at the DPD shooting range, Wednesday, March 19, 2014, in Denton.

Olympian Quinn learns SWAT’s techniques to breach doors in Denton

During a blustery, cold morning off Airport Road, a U.S. Olympian hoisting an AR-15 rifle at the Denton Police Department shooting range Wednesday drew a flock of media attention.

A tweet during the 2014 Winter Olympics by Johnny Quinn, a former University of North Texas football player, started it all. At the time, he was just stuck in a bathroom and didn’t realize that a photo of him breaking through a bathroom door in Sochi, Russia, would gain so much worldwide attention, but it did — including the eye of Denton police Officer Ryan Grelle.

“I followed him while he played football for UNT here, but I never have met him until now,” Grelle said Wednesday morning. “When I saw his tweet on Twitter during the start of the Olympic games, I initiated contact since he does have a history here.”

Within six weeks, Quinn was amped and ready to learn after accepting Grelle’s offer to come train with the award-winning SWAT team and learn how to “properly breach a door.”

Officer Ronny Crain showed Quinn, a 30-year-old McKinney resident, an array of rams constructed from various materials. He also showed him how to use them to break through a door.

“You want to hit as close to the door knob always, even if it knocks it right on through,” Crain said.

Quinn, not using a fist this time, busted through a wooden door proclaiming, “little bit easier than Sochi.” The second door — made of metal — wasn’t as easy. Yet after two tries, he got through.

Two years ago, the tactical team won a contest organized by Tactical Response Magazine for the best practical physical training test in the country, officials said.

The test is a mental and physical challenge complete with sprinting, busting doors, shooting targets and climbing — all within three minutes.

Quinn, a bobsledder, did a quarter of the version of what the tactical team does — shooting with an AR-15 at the 50-yard line, busting through a door and then back to shooting with a pistol at the 7-yard line.

How did this compare to his bobsledding in Sochi?

“I was really, really focusing while shooting,” he said. “Focus is the only thing that I can compare otherwise. There is no comparison.”

Before blasting a door with an explosive, Quinn expressed gratitude and appreciation to learn the hard work of what it takes to be a police officer.

“I am honored for the opportunity,” he said.

MEGAN GRAY can be reached at 940-566-6885 and via Twitter at @MGrayNews.

Comments

DentonRC.com is now using Facebook Comments. To post a comment, log into Facebook and then add your comment below. Your comment is subject to Facebook's Privacy Policy and Terms of Service on data use. If you don't want your comment to appear on Facebook, uncheck the 'Post to Facebook' box. To find out more, read the FAQ .